There exist various types of vehicles used mainly in off-road conditions. One such type is the side-by-side off-road vehicle (SSV). The name “side-by-side” refers to the seating arrangement of the vehicle in which the driver and a passenger are seated side-by-side. Some side-by-side off-road vehicles also have a second row of seats to accommodate one or more additional passengers. These vehicles typically have an open cockpit, a roll cage and a steering wheel.
In order to increase the efficiency and power output of an engine, it is known to provide the engine with a turbocharger. The turbocharger is a turbine driven by exhaust gases of the engine which compresses air prior to supplying this air to the engine. Due to the compression and the heat transfer from the hot exhaust gases, the air exiting the turbocharger is hotter than the air entering the turbocharger. However, hot intake air reduces the efficiency of an engine.
Therefore, in order to cool the air leaving the turbocharger before supplying it to the engine, some vehicles are provided with heat exchanging systems, such as an intercooler. The intercooler cools the air leaving the turbocharger and then supplies this air to the engine.
Although this solves the problem associated with hot air being supplied to the engine, there can also be problems associated with the overheating of the turbocharger itself which the intercooler does not address. If the turbocharger overheats, it could become damaged and/or wear prematurely. Therefore it would be desirable to cool the turbocharger. Cooling the turbocharger also has the added benefit of having cooler air exiting the turbocharger, thereby improving efficiency.
Also, during operation, the turbocharger radiates heat to components that are nearby. The heating of these nearby components by the turbocharger could negatively impact their performance and could possible lead to damage and/or premature wear of these nearby components. Therefore it would be desirable to cool the components that are near the turbocharger.
Although it would be possible to provide a dedicated cooling system for the turbocharger and the nearby components, such a liquid cooling system, such a system adds weight, cost and complexity to the vehicle. Furthermore, side-by-side off-road vehicles are generally narrower and shorter than on-road vehicles such as cars. As such, there is less space available to dispose the various components that would be needed to provide such a dedicated cooling system for the turbocharger.
Thus there is a desire for a system for cooling a turbocharger that is simple, that does not add too much weight and complexity, and that fits within the limited overall dimensions of side-by-side off-road vehicles.